Nuns evicted from Ukrainian monastery amid ongoing Church persecution

Osich, Chernigov Province, January 28, 2026

Photo: Telegram Photo: Telegram     

Nuns of the St. Nicholas-Krupytsky Monastery in the Nizhyn Diocese of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church were unlawfully evicted from their convent yesterday, January 27.

The head of the state-run Hetman Capital National Historical and Cultural Preserve carried out the eviction with police assistance, despite the absence of any court order authorizing such action. The nuns have no alternative housing, as their cells in the monastery serve as their official place of residence, reports lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

A usage agreement between the monastery and the reserve was set to expire yesterday, but under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 634 of May 27, 2022, users and tenants have the right to automatic contract extension during the period of martial law. “No court decisions exist regarding termination of usage or eviction,” Fr. Nikita explains.

Legal representatives are preparing complaints to law enforcement agencies and court filings to defend the nuns’ rights.

According to Fr. Nikita, the actions of the Preserve’s head and other involved parties contain signs of criminal offenses under Ukrainian law, including Articles 356 (arbitrary conduct) and 365 (abuse of power or official authority) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The priest called on believers to pray for the nuns and to give maximum publicity to this latest act of lawlessness against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

This eviction represents the latest development in Ukraine’s ongoing campaign against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Authorities have targeted multiple monasteries, including several convents. In 2023, police surrounded a convent in Ternopil Province in Western Ukraine in an attempt to evict the nuns, and authorities subsequently cut off their electricity. The nuns in that case have managed to remain in their home thus far.

Fr. Nikita also shared photos of how the monastery looked when it was returned to the Ukrainian Church:

Photo: Telegram Photo: Telegram     

And how it looks now, under the nuns’ care:

Photo: ​Telegram Photo: ​Telegram     

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1/28/2026

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